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Earthy tunes

December 25 - 31 , 2019
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Gulf Weekly Earthy tunes

Gulf Weekly Naman Arora
By Naman Arora

Festival frequenters as well as arts and music lovers will have the opportunity to keep the festivities going at the Revive Festival, running every day from 4pm to midnight starting tomorrow until January 4, 2020 at the Water Garden City in Seef.

Held under the patronage of Shaikh Hisham bin AbdulRahman Al-Khalifa, governor of the Capital Governorate, the festival aims to provide a festive, family friendly and youth oriented atmosphere.

The festival, organised by Surreal Fiction Entertainment, shall also provide a wide variety of activities and entertainment for people of all ages and interests in an environmentally sustainable fashion.

Mohammed Naser, chief executive of Surreal Fiction said: “Working with our organising partner Cult Bahrain, we want to bring together as many young Bahraini minds as possible and create a space for them to showcase their talents, find community and have fun, in an environmentally sustainable way.”

More than 200 young Bahraini business owners are also expected to be running retail stalls and food and beverage outlets. Revive will also be providing a platform for young performers and DJs to showcase their skills.

Every evening this weekend at 8pm, a Bahraini band/performer will take the stage, starting with Kushari Band tomorrow evening, Majaz on Friday evening and Discipline Calisthenics Academy as well as Dynamix break dancers  on Saturday evening starting at 7pm.

In addition, on Friday, other indie musicians will be taking the stage to entertain the crowds and showcase their latest work. The Legends band is expected to perform on January 2. 

The 10-day event, which is designed to be eco-friendly, will also feature a farmers’ market with plenty of fruit and vegetables and plants to encourage visitors to buy local.

Artists and aspiring Banksy’s are participating in the graffiti contest taking place from tomorrow until Tuesday, with the results to be announced soon after. Cash prizes of BD500, BD300 and BD200 are up for grabs.

There is also a Pandora’s box hunt planned for next Sunday and Monday from 6pm to 9pm, with a grand prize of an iPhone 11.

On December 31, as part of 2019’s final bash, a concert by Dr Sal and DJ Outlaw will add the final notes to the decade, starting at 9pm.

There is also a friendly all-ages talent audition and jam session on Tuesday from 8pm to 10pm, with the finals happening the next evening, where winners can take home up to BD700 in prizes.

Mohammed said: “We are so glad to be able to create this space under the patronage of Shaikh Hisham and the authorities. This is the first time a festival focused on celebrating talents across the arts and music scenes is happening here and we want to make it as environmentally friendly as possible.”

Artist Mustafa Halwachi, alongside a team of other local painters, will be creating massive murals and hosting art workshops, along the green environmentally sustainable theme of the festival.

Visitors will also be encouraged to recycle on site, with a number of recycling workshops, and many of the vendors will be selling products made from recycled materials.

The structure of the festival is literally eco-friendly, with stalls having been made using recyclable and reusable material such as upcycled wood and steel, and the electricity partially from solar energy.

Mohammed remarked: “Our entire set up is sustainable, with lots of eco-friendly art structures. Not only are the stalls environmentally friendly, we have made sure to include lots of proactive environmentally conscious vendors as well as community organisations like Clean-up Bahrain.”

Visitors also have the chance to take part in e-sport tournaments, cosplay competitions and raffle draws, with big prizes for the winners. Cosplayers from across the region will be mingling with the crowd as families enjoy a variety of free games for children and large playing areas, including a soft play area for toddlers and babies. 

Mohammed concluded: “We hope people come and enjoy the activities and learn about eco-friendly ways to revive themselves and the planet. Go Green. Adapt. Revive.”

Tickets are priced at BD1 per person per day and the festival runs from December 26 to January 4 from 4pm to midnight. For more info, contact 66605657 or follow the festivities on Instagram: @ReviveFestivalBH







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